Jan 28, 2011

The 40 greatest Nr 1 - Squats

In this section I'll try to dig a little deeper in the world of exercises. Exercises are an essential part of PLYOREPS, and knowing how to choose the right exercises and the right way to perform exercises can make a huge difference. And we start out with the king of all leg exercises, the squat!

Squats can be performed in numerous ways and with different focus. It is one of the main exercises in many sports, and in bodybuilding. Squats gives you strength, power, speed and size. The main muscles worked are quadriceps and gluteus maximus. You will always use both muscles, but shifting bar position, body position, feet position and execution will make some difference in the outcome. Lets go through the most important different types of squats.

Back squats - This is the traditional squat performed for years and years, and by all kind of athletes. Best for overall quad and glute strength, and for building muscles in the legs.Front squats - By putting the barbell in front of your torso, you can do the movement more upright. This puts more stress on the quads and less on the glutes. Favored by olympic weightlifters and many bodybuilders.Jump squats - This is the most explosive version of the squats where you jump as high as you can with the barbell. The load effectively limits how high you can jump, so really dig dip in this one.Box squats - Squats where you sit down on a box. This guides you to the right depth and activates the quads more on less weight. Good for people who suffer from weak lower back.Bottom position squats - This is a squat where you start in the bottom position without the stretchreflex to help you. A good way to increase ability to generate power and explosiveness.Overhead squat - Probably the most difficult form of squats where you hold the barbell in a wide grip over your head on stretched arms. Important for olympic lifters and perfect to develop a balanced squat.